# Sign Regulations in Vandergrift Borough, Pennsylvania

Sign permit rules, size and height limits, setbacks, and ordinance citations for Vandergrift Borough, Pennsylvania, compiled by PermitPal from the jurisdiction's published municipal code.

- **Jurisdiction:** Vandergrift Borough, Pennsylvania (PA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/pennsylvania/vandergrift-borough
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-28
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/31696995#31696995)

## At a glance

Vandergrift Borough, Pennsylvania regulates 12 sign types across 3 zoning districts. Freestanding Signs in the Commercial District, Industrial District zoning district are capped at 35 feet tall and 64 square feet per face, total of 128 square feet on all faces, with a Not closer than 15 feet to a street right-of-way setback (Sec. § 500-20E(2)(a), (2)(d), (2)(e)[1-2]). Most commercial signs in Vandergrift Borough require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (3 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential Districts | 5 | 12 feet (measured from the topmost part of the sign to the ground below) | 16 square feet per face | — |
| Commercial District, Industrial District | 6 | 35 feet (none may extend higher) | 100 square feet, but no greater than 10% of wall surface; minimum 20 square feet allowed | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 1 | — | 5 square feet | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements

### Residential Districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Property Identification Sign | 12 feet (measured from the topmost part of the sign to the ground below) | 2 square feet per face | — | — | 1 per property, or 2 if abutting two streets | Applied flat to principal structure, attached to a private lamppost or fence, or to a pole in the ground | — | § 500-20D(1), (6), (7), (8) |
| Temporary Real Estate Sign | 12 feet | 16 square feet per face | — | — | — | Placed upon property being offered | — | § 500-20D(2), § 500-20C(5)(a) |
| Public or Semipublic Institution Sign | 12 feet | 16 square feet per face | — | — | — | — | — | § 500-20D(3), (8), § 500-20C(6)(a) |
| Temporary Contractor/Designer Sign | 12 feet | 16 square feet per face | — | — | 1 per contractor/designer | On the property where contractor/designer is employed | — | § 500-20D(4), § 500-20C(5)(b) |
| Memorial Tablet and Governmental Sign | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | § 500-20D(5) |

### Commercial District, Industrial District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| All Signs Permitted in Residential Districts | 35 feet (none may extend higher) | — | — | — | — | — | — | § 500-20E(1)(a), § 500-20E(2)(d) |
| Freestanding Sign | 35 feet | 64 square feet per face, total of 128 square feet on all faces | — | Not closer than 15 feet to a street right-of-way | 1 per property | Front yard or side yard abutting a public street (not closer than 15 feet to street right-of-way) | — | § 500-20E(2)(a), (2)(d), (2)(e)[1-2] |
| Wall Sign | Not above the sills of second-floor windows or top of the parapet on 1-story buildings; no more than 35 feet above ground | 100 square feet, but no greater than 10% of wall surface; minimum 20 square feet allowed | — | — | — | Located between heads of ground floor windows/doors and sills of second floor windows or top of parapet; must follow façade continuity as approved by Building Inspector | — | § 500-20E(2)(b), (2)(d), (2)(e)[3] |
| Projecting Sign | 35 feet | 15 square feet per face | — | — | — | Protruding over sidewalk or public right-of-way, subject to code and safety standards | — | § 500-20E(2)(c), (2)(d) |
| Sign on Marquee, Awning or Canopy Edge | 3 feet (edge height) | — | — | — | — | Attached to/part of the edges of a marquee, retractable awning, or canopy | — | § 500-20E(1)(d) |
| Billboard | 35 feet | — | — | 25 feet from right-of-way/property line | — | Industrial District only, set back at least 25 feet from street, highway, or property line | — | § 500-20E(1)(c), (2)(d) |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Garage, Yard or Porch Sale Sign | — | 5 square feet | — | — | — | On property where sale is occurring | — | § 500-20C(4) |

## Prohibited signs in Vandergrift Borough

- No person shall willfully or maliciously destroy, remove, deface, obliterate, or cover up any lamp, warning sign, or barricade erected by borough authorities or by any permitted persons on public property.
- No animated signs, or signs illuminated by a flashing, pulsating or intermittent source are permitted, except for time-and-temperature indicators.
- No signs lighted in such a manner as to create clear (hazardous) conditions on adjacent property or on an adjacent sidewalk or street.
- No sign shall be placed upon the roof of a building or project above the top or beyond the end of a building wall.
- No sign shall be located so as to block doors, fire escapes, operable windows, or access to them, nor shall a sign be attached to a fire escape.
- No sign shall, by reason of location or message, create traffic confusion or any traffic hazard by obstructing any sight distances or by generally confusing motorists.
- Projecting signs must be created from light-weight materials and must be designed and anchored to withstand a steady, horizontal wind pressure of at least 100 miles per hour.
- Signs in excess of 30 sq. ft. and their structural supports must be made of noncombustible materials.
- Where glass panels on any sign exceed three square feet in area, they shall be wired glass or shatterproof glass; otherwise glass areas shall be a minimum of one-quarter-inch-thick safety glass.
- Signs must be located only on the property containing the use identified by the sign, except for billboards.

## Signs exempt from permit in Vandergrift Borough

- Real estate signs not exceeding 16 square feet in area do not require permits for erection.
- Signs denoting designers and/or contractors when placed on property where the firm is doing work, limited to 16 square feet and removed when work is completed, do not require permits.
- Signs or bulletin boards put up by public, charitable, or religious institutions on their own property require permits but no fees.
- Temporary signs advertising special events of public, charitable, or religious institutions may be approved by Borough Council in other locations for up to 30 days.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A permit issued by the Zoning Officer is required before any sign may be erected, except for signs specifically exempted from permits.
- Permit applications must include details such as owner information, location, drawings, size calculations, installation and anchoring details, and certification by a registered professional engineer when applicable.
- A permit is required for replacement, enlargement, or moving of a sign, but not for repair of an existing sign.
- Projecting, internally illuminated, or indirectly illuminated signs hanging over pedestrian or traffic ways require strict review by the Code Officer and certification by a professional engineer to ensure compliance with health, safety, and welfare standards.

## Full detail

Complete sign requirements for Vandergrift Borough, including every field PermitPal tracks for each sign type, are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Vandergrift+Borough+PA&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-vandergrift-borough

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